ukactive worked with some of the biggest operators in England to gather data from more than 1,300 of its members’ sites in the first three weeks since reopening, from 25 July to 16 August.

The numbers show there have been more than eight million visits from members of the public since the sector reopened, and during this time only 17 people have reported testing positive with the virus during a period that included them using the facility – equating to an estimated 0.020 cases for every 10,000 visits to the gym. In addition, there were only nine reported cases among members of staff.

The findings support a growing evidence base from across the globe showing that Covid-19 has a low prevalence in the gym environment. 

Gyms and leisure facilities in the UK must follow strict government guidance in order to remain open, ensuring social distancing among staff and customers, proper ventilation throughout, and comprehensive cleanliness protocols.

“Our sector has worked tirelessly to demonstrate its safety to the public and this evidence helps us to prove that these efforts are paying dividends, allowing us to get back to our work of keeping the nation happy and healthy,” says Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive.

“This early evidence suggests that gyms are relatively low-risk places for catching the virus, however, we will continue to monitor closely – with our members – the number of Covid-19 cases, to show that the sector is being responsible by limiting its spread.”